A MUM of three is angry she will be forced into hardship when the Government makes her pay for a “spare room” when the bedroom tax kicks in.

Part-time shop worker Vicky Downey, 34, faces being stung with the tax despite living with three daughters at her three-bed Kinmel Bay home.

The single mum will lose 14% of her housing benefit as it is claimed she has an un-occupied room – taking £12 from her weekly income and more than £500 over a year. This is because her eldest daughter only lives at the property three days a week.

The family are among thousands in Wales who will be hit when the tax comes into force in April, affecting those in social housing.

Vicky said: “I am juggling my bills as it is and this will make it even more of a struggle to manage. I have to cope because I have three children and we have to have a roof over our heads, but it will be very hard.

“If I had still been on benefits there is no way I could afford the extra – this tax will make far more people homeless.

“I live at the house with my children George, six, and Tyler, eight, and my eldest Charley lives here three days a week and at my mum’s for the other days.

“They say that as George and Tyler are a similar age they can share a room and don’t take Charley into consideration – they want to increase my rent by saying her room is not occupied.

“I would have to move to a two bed property but there are no spare properties in this area to move to.

“I understand them bringing this rule in for a single person living alone in a large home but feel it is unfair that we are being hit. There will be many others in a similar situation.”

Vicky lives in a Cartrefi Conwy housing association property and they have also raised concerns over the tax. Operations Director Gwynne Jones said he expects to see more and more tenants falling into debt in the coming months.

A Wales cuts watchdog is calling on the Welsh Government to protect families. Cuts Watch Cymru (CWC) said: “Many people will have to face moving to a cheaper home, if they can find one, or living with a hefty cut in benefit. Some risk falling into arrears and losing their home altogether.”

Their report calls on the Welsh Government, local authorities, and housing associations to act now to protect tenants from the impact of the new rules. It calls on ministers to take the lead to put safeguards in place against the worst effects of the changes.

Wales will be the hardest hit part of the UK when the new Social Size Criteria (Bedroom Tax) come into force because 46% of housing benefit claimants will be affected.

The new rules say social housing tenants must only occupy houses and flats that exactly match the size of the family. If there is a spare bedroom, they must move to a smaller place or face an average £12 a week cut in their housing benefit.

“At least 40,000 claimants in Wales will be affected – the average yearly loss for tenants of working age in Wales with spare bedrooms is likely to be £600,” warns the report.

CWC chair Victoria Winckler said: “It’s all very well telling people to move, but there is a real shortage of rented accommodation in Wales. Even if they can find somewhere, the claimants will have to bear the cost of moving and people with disabilities will lose any adaptations that have been done to their homes.

“Those who stay and bear the extra cost are likely to get into rent arrears and may well lose their tenancies and become homeless.”

Nick Bennett, group chief executive of Community Housing Cymru, the membership body for housing associations in Wales, said: “We know tenants are going to face very difficult decisions over the coming months. Affordable credit options and good timely advice will be key to helping tenants through these changes. We have been leading on a Wales wide awareness raising campaign called ‘Your Benefits Are Changing’ and have set up a free advice line to urge tenants to seek advice and support. They can call 0300 303 1073 or text ‘change’ to 80018.”